World Environment Day Event For Summer Internships

Thursday, June 6, 2019, marked Go Green Initiative’s World Environment Day celebration, which raised money for its summer internship program. Students, PUSD staff, and community members gathered for a luncheon at the Veterans Memorial Building to recognize and support students who are working to combat climate change in their local community of Pleasanton.

Guests had the opportunity to meet and sit with interns to discuss what drives them to continue to work in environmentalism. Middle College intern, Cassiedy Walker Jones comments, “From the fires to droughts, I have seen the effects of climate change in my community and I believe that if I want something to change, I need to be part of the solution.”

This year, Go Green Initiative (GGI) has hired thirty-three (33) students, working fifteen hours per week for nine weeks on a project to benchmark the energy use in buildings owned by the City of Pleasanton and Pleasanton Unified School District. This project addresses multiple goals in the Pleasanton Climate Action Plan. Students will learn to use the Energy Star Portfolio Manager (ESPM) tool, which is the industry standard for energy benchmarking in the U.S. (Photos from event here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UFBDnvvYoDzsY9B1Y70AqrJf2OYo1zQ-?usp=sharing)

Since last year’s World Environment Day celebration, GGI Interns have helped the City of Pleasanton and Pleasanton Unified School District improve their recycling and organics separation process as they conducted waste audits at 13 city facilities and all 15 PUSD schools. (More information in this video: https://youtu.be/3b8GZ9_PBpI)

Highlights of the lunch program:

Speakers:

· Celine Leroudier, Project Manager for the GGI Summer Internship Program and alumna of University of British Columbia and Amador Valley High School

· Elyse Wohlenberg, President, Foothill High School Local Leaders of the 21st Century club and GGI Intern

· Jessica Luan, President, Amador Valley High School Local Leaders of the 21st Century club and GGI Intern

· Sujana Sridhar, Amador Valley High School Local Leaders of the 21st Century club and GGI Intern

Award winners:

· Micaela Ochoa, Ed.D., Deputy Superintendent

· Becky Hopkins, Assistant to the City Manager

· Alex Ramirez, Vice Principal, Donlon Elementary

· Mike Bettencourt, Head Custodian, Amador Valley High School

· Richard Leal, Head Custodian, Foothill High School

· Andrew Leal, Head Custodian, Hart Middle School

· Stacey Leal, Head Custodian, Harvest Park Middle School

· Anthony Mares, Head Custodian, Hearst Elementary

Corporate Sponsors:

• Engie- $10,000
• TRiGroup, Inc. and Sigamura Finney Architects- $2,500
• Aedis Architects, Amador Valley High School PTSA, HKIT Architects, Pleasanton Downtown Rotary, Amador Valley Industries, Republic Services, and Pleasanton Garbage Service - $1,000
• Dannis Woliver Kelley, Attorneys at Law - $500

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About Go Green Initiative

The Go Green Initiative, headquartered in Pleasanton, CA, is the global leader in fully comprehensive environmental action plans for schools. By promoting environmental stewardship on campuses from preschools through universities, the GGI works to involve families, businesses and local governments in the common goal of protecting human health through environmental stewardship. Since its inception in July 2002, the Go Green Initiative has been endorsed by the National School Boards Association, National Recycling Coalition, adopted by nine State PTA Boards, implemented in all 50 U.S. states and in 73 countries. There are currently over 2.5 million students and teachers in registered Go Green schools.

More information is available at www.GoGreenInitiative.org